Adjustable escutcheon plate



Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,454

L. W. GATES ADJUSTABLE ESCU'ICHEON PLATE Filed March 29, 1923 INVENTOR mlafl ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

*4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. GATES, OF NEW HAVEN,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNO'R T0 C. COWLES & COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE ESCUTCHED'N PLATE.

Application filed March 29, 1923. Serial No. 628,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. GATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Escutcheon Plate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to latch operating and locking devices for vehicle doors, and has for an object to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, neat in appearance and which will allow. angular adjustment of the escutcheon with respect to the axis of the latch operat ing spindle so that it will snugly fit the surface of the door, should this surface be inclined. to this axis.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a structure of this type, although it will allow said angular adjustment of the escutcheon, will also allow use of. a locking means for locking the spindle to the es cut'cheon. V a

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

Fig. l is a sectional View through a portion of the door showing my improved device attached thereto, the spindle handle and a portion of the escutcheon being shown 7 in elevation,

' ig. 2 is a rearview of the escutcheon,

g 3.-is a partial longitudinal section and partial side elevation of the escutcheon, Fig. 4 is a partial sect-ion and a partial side elevation of the inner bearing collar. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the outer bearing collar. H i j V Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing the spin dle locking means, and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to view '3 showing a slightly-different construction for the 14, and the usual operating handle 15 of any desired type.

This latch operating spindle .is secured to the door and in latch operating position by means of escutcheon 16, which is secured to the face of the door by suitable means such as screws 17. The escutcheon has on its outer side an outwardly extending flange portion 19, provided at its outer end with a curved bearing surface 20 comprising a portion of the surface of a sphere. The escutcheon also has spaced from this surface longitudinally of the axis of the spindle, preferably on the other side of the escutcheon, a similar spherical bearing surface 21, and these two spherical surfaces should be portions of the surfaces of spheres having a common center. I have shown these two surfaces as being portions of a common sphere, but the same results will be secured if these two bearing surfaces are on spheres with different radii. Extending through the escutcheon is an opening 18 through which the spindle extends and this opening is preferably of-a smaller diameter at its mid length, or at substantially the center of the spherical surfaces 20 and'21, and tapers in both directions to a larger diameter at its outer ends. This arrangement forms a bearing for the spindle in the escutcheon but allows angular movement between them. Carried by the latch operating spindle are two spherical shoulders 22 and 23, arranged to bear upon these bearing surfaces .20 and 21 respectively, and although these shoulders may be secured to the spindle, they are preferably formed on rings 24 and 25 which are loosely mounted on the spindle and form bearings for this spindle in which the same may turn for operating the latch. I also preferably provide adjacent the inner ring 25 another collar 26 secured to the spindle by any suitable means such as set screws 27, and provide between this collar and ring 25 a spring washer 28 which tends to clamp the rings 24 and 25 against the opposite spherical surfaces 20 and 21 of the escutcheon.

After the escutcheon has been mounted on the spindle as indicated, it will be apparent that the escutcheon is mounted for universal angular adjustment on the spindle because the rings 23 and 24 may slide over the spherical surfaces and 21. Thus even though the axis of the spindle is fixed when it is placed in the latch, the escutcheon may assume the angular position required to snugly fit the surface of the door, should this surface be inclined to the axis of the spindle. The 'inward movement of the spindle is limited by the shoulder 29 engaging the outer ring 24, and it will be apparent that the two rings 24 and 25 provide a rigid supporting bearing for the spindle, which is equivalent to an extended cylindrical hearing and will hold the spindle rigid and prevent its quickly working loose or rattling. The spring washer 28 will also take up any wear which may occur and prevent rattling.

It will be noted that this construction of means for securing the spindle and escutcheon together leaves a free space within the body of the escutcheon, so that, if desired means may be easily provided for locking the spindle to the escutcheon to prevent turning of the spindle and thus lock the door. For this purpose I have provided the body of the escutcheon and leading from the opening 18, with one or more recesses 30, and have provided in the sp1n dle a slidable bolt 31, the free end of which may be moved into these recesses and thus lock the spindle against turning. I preferably provide in the spindle a rotatable cylinder 32 of a cylinder lock, having a projecting eccent-rically arranged pin 33 entering a groove 34 in the bolt 31, so that rotation of this cylinder by means of the usual key, indicated at 35, will advance the bolt into recess to lock the spindle against turning, or to retract the bolt into the spindle to allow operation thereof.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 1' to 3 the rear of the escutcheon is recessed as shown at 36, upon one side of which is formed the spherical surface 21, and because of this recess the spherical surface does not project to any material extent beyond the 7 plane of the rear face of the escutcheon. However, if desired, this curved or spherical surface may be formed on a flange projecting from the face of the escutcheon as indicated at 37 in Fig. 7.

' It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the device is very simple in construction and easily assembled or disassembled. Also that it will present a very neat appearance. Further that in view of the described arrangement of the spherical surfaces, I am enabled to secure angularadjustment of the escutcheon with respect to the spindle, and at the same time this structure does not prevent the use of means for locking the spindle to the escutcheon;

"Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a smaller diameter than said opening atthe ends thereof, and collars carried by said spindle engaging said spherical surfaces;

3. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with flanges extending laterally on the opposite sides thereof, said flanges being provided ontheouter sides thereof with convex substantially spherical surfaces, a latch spindleextending through said escutcheon, and collars carried by said spindle and engaging said spherical surfaces. i

4. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to av door and provided with flanges extending-laterally on opposite sides thereof, said flanges being provided with convex 'substantia spherical surfaces, a latch spindle extxlid ing through said escutcheon,-and collars carried by said spindle having concave substantially spherical surfaces engaging the corresponding surfaces onsaid'flanges.

' 5. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with convex substantially spherical surfaces on opposite sidesthereof and a latch spindle extending" through said escutcheon and carrying spaced shout ders engaging said spherical surfaces an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a 6. In a device of theycharacter described,

door and provided with convex substantially spherical surfaces on opposite sides thereof having a common center, and a latch spindle extending through said escutcheon and carrying spaced shoulders engaging said spherical surfaces. I

'7. In a device of the characterdescribed, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with convexsubstantially spherical surfaces on opposite sides thereof having a common center, and a latchspindle extending through said escutcheon and carrying spaced shoulders having'substantially spherical concave surfaces engaging the convex surfaces on the escutcheon. 3

8. In a device ofthecharacter described,

extending through said escutcheon, and spaced collars loosely mounted on said spindle and having concave, substantially spherical surfaces engaging the convex surfaces on the escutcheon.

9. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and having convex spherical surfaces on opposite sides thereof, a latch spindle extending through said escutcheon, spaced collars loosely mounted on said spindle and engaging said convex surfaces, and a spring element tending to press one of said collars against the escutcheon.

10. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door, a latch operating spindle extending through the escutcheon and mounted for relative angular and turning movements with respect to said escutcheon, means carried by one of said elements adapted to engage the other element to lock the spindle against turning, and means for operating said lockmg means.

11. In a deviceof the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door, a latch operating spindle extending through the escutcheon and mounted for rel ative angular and turning movements with respect to said escutcheon, a movable bolt carried by the spindle adapted to engage the escutcheon to lock the spindle thereto, and means for operating said bolt.

12. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with a recess, a latch operating spindle extending through said escutcheon, coacting means carried by the spindle and escutcheon to secure them together and arranged to allow relative angular and turning movements between them, and a key operating bolt carried by said spindle and adapted to enter said recess to lock the spindle to the escutcheon.

13. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with convex substantially spherical surfaces on opposite sides thereof having a common center, a latch spindle extending through said escutcheon and carrying spaced shoulders engaging said spherical surfaces, a locking bolt carried by the spindle adapted to engage the escutcheon to lock the spindle thereto, and means for operating said bolt.

14. In a device of the character described, an escutcheon adapted to be secured to a door and provided with an opening extending therethrough, said escutcheon being provided with substantially spherical surfaces on opposite sides thereof, a spindle extending through said opening and having a bearing therein intermediate the ends of the opening but said spindle being of less diameter than the opening at the ends thereof, and collars carried by said spindle said collars being provided with concave substantially spherical surfaces to engage those on the escutcheon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS W. GATES. 

